While growing up in the equine industry, I became accustomed to feeding horses set meals. It was the routine amongst many barns and at the time I thought there was nothing wrong with it. Until I began to study digestive anatomy in college and realized this fairly common practice was actually quite unhealthy as the equine digestive system works a bit differently than humans. The Mouth With help from the tongue, a horse’s lips sift through food and push it back to the molars. Horses naturally graze with their heads down, where food is transported by a process called peristalsis, otherwise known as strong muscle contractions. The food is transported up the esophagus and into the stomach. When a horse is constantly digesting something, they are producing constant saliva. This is essential to lubricate the travel through the digestive tract. When horses are fed set meals, there is a decreased amount of saliva traveling through the digestive tract, which can cause an unhealthy buildup of stomach acid. Constant access to forage also ensures everything is being chewed properly as the horse isn’t racing to finish its meal. This keeps the stomach full which can improve the horse’s physical, emotional, and behavioral health while also preventing impactions. Restricting access to forage increases the likelihood of stomach ulcers, colic, and other digestive complications. Stomach Even if there is no food present, the stomach is continuously producing acid. This is why it’s crucial to ensure the horse is digesting enough throughout the day to prevent physical complications. The stomach is located at an angle to the esophagus, which makes it impossible for a horse to vomit. Intestines/Hindgut As food travels through the small intestines (which are almost 70 feet in length), most of the carbohydrates and proteins within the food are absorbed by enzymes. Food continues to the hind gut, where fiber digestion occurs. A huge population of microbes and bacteria species that are necessary to break down food are located in the hind gut. This is also where water and vitamins are heavily absorbed. Fiber is broken down by the microbes which produces calories and creates heat for warmth in the winter. If a horse is dehydrated, this is the location where impaction colic can occur. Cecum The cecum is where the microbes are housed, and the populations vary depending on the equine diet. Most non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) will be absorbed by enzymes within the foregut. Oftentimes some slip through into the hind gut when large amounts of high NSC concentrated meals are fed. If horses are continuously fed high-concentrate diets, this can lead to acid buildup, colic, laminitis, and more. Everything left after traveling through the cecum comes out the other end. It’s important for horse handlers and equine owners to understand how the digestive system works to better plan your horse’s diet.
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